While the present invention of belt installation or belt removal guides can be effectively used in a plurality of different belt configurations, it will be described for clarity as used in electrostatic marking systems such as electrophotography or xerography.
By way of background, in marking systems such as xerography or other electrostatographic processes, a uniform electrostatic charge is placed upon a photoreceptor belt or drum surface. The charged surface is then exposed to a light image of an original to selectively dissipate the charge to form a latent electrostatic image of the original. The latent image is developed by depositing finely divided and charged particles of toner upon the belt or drum photoreceptor surface. The toner may be in dry powder form or suspended in a liquid carrier. The charged toner, being electrostatically attached to the latent electrostatic image areas, creates a visible replica of the original. The developed image is then usually transferred from the photoreceptor surface to an intermediate transfer belt or to a final support material such as paper.
In some of these electrostatic marking systems, a photoreceptor belt or drum surface and an intermediate transfer belt (ITB) is generally arranged to move in an endless path through the various processing stations of the xerographic marking process. In this endless path, several xerographic-related stations are traversed by the photoconductive and ITB belts which become abraded and worn. In several of these belt configurations, in addition to photosensitive and ITB belts, other belts are used such as transfer belts, pre-fuser belts, cleaning belts and the like. Each of these belts is exposed to friction and moved by rollers that provide the belt movement to accomplish the belt purpose. After awhile, especially in high speed systems, the belt needs to be replaced. Also, since the photoreceptor and ITB surface are reusable once the toner image is transferred, the surfaces of these belts are constantly abraded and cleaned by a blade and/or brushes and prepared to be used once again in the marking process.
Image-carrying belts used in color printing processes can be especially difficult to replace and install. In some machines for example, the intermediate transfer belt is over 6-10 feet long. Belt installation requires careful alignment with the belt module to prevent belt and other machine component damage. At even longer belt lengths, the replacement or removal operation is extremely difficult without belt damage occurring.
Even in monochromatic marking systems that use shorter belts for various functions, extreme care must be taken not to damage the belts during installation. In some instances, the belts are constructed of thin flexible polymeric materials that can easily scratch or be damaged during belt replacement or even during original installation.